Bookrack



Patented Aue. 12, 1941 .BOOKRACK Anthony Raucci,- Pittsburg, Calif., assigner Ito `fllilce Interlocking Metal Displays Company,

:Pittsburg Calif.

pplieation April 30, 1940, Serial N 0. 332,515

'4 Claims.

This invention relates .to racks ofthe type ,cornmonly yused `instores Afor the display of merchandise.

It is an object ofthe invention toprovide `a raclcparticularly adapted to .the storage and display of magazines or other similar-ly.shaped objects. i

Another object of the` invention is toprovidea Yrack of the characterdescribed which is constructed of inexpensive lightfgaugesheet `metal and yet which is'suiciently sturdy to provide a rack possessed .of .a long useful life. Y

A further object oftheinventon is to provide a rack 4of .the character described which is designed to be nested in unionwith an adjacent .similar rack sothat a unit selfr'supporting assembly `of racks may be produced.

Astill further object of the invention is to provide a rack of the characterreferred to 'which will support a quantity of `magazines or the like in a neat compactgroup 'and which will lpreclude the possibility 4of gthe goods becoming vdisarranged or falling `from the rack ,and becoming damaged. A

`The invention possesses `other objects and features of advantage, which,` together `withthe foregoing, will be specifically pointed out inthe detailed description of the invention `hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention is not to bellimited to the Vspecific form thereof herein shown `and described as various other embodiments thereof may be employed within the scope of `the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing: s `Figure 1 is aV perspective View yof the rack of rmy invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental yertical sectional View of a portion of the `side of the rack. The plane in which the view ,is `taken is indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the lower portion of the rack. The plane in which the view is taken is indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmental vertical sectional View showing the connector for securing a horizontally disposed pair of racks together.

In detail, the rack comprises a sheet metal bottom 4 having, along both side and rear edges,

ydownturned flanges 6 and, along its front edge,

an angularly inclined upwardly extending apron 1 provided at its eXtreme upper end with a retrorsely bent flange 8 to form a protective bead 9 which lessens the danger of a person being scratched or cut by the otherwise unprotected `edge of the thin sheetrnetal. Lying contiguous with and rising parallel to the side flanges 6 is a pair of side plates li each being connected, as by spot welding I2, to the sideflanges and each having, along its front inclined edge, a talc` fI3 which is` attached, by .spot welding I4, to the respective side edges of theapronl vandwhose upper end is tucked under the flange 8. Sheet .metal angle bars, secured by spot welding I6 to the rear vertical edges of the respective side plates il, form upwardly extending rear corner posts i1 and strips I3 of Asheet metal, having their forward longitudinal edges rolled or folded to form protective. beads I9 and secured by `spot weldingZl to the upperedges Vofthe respective side plates, form front ,corner posts which are slightly angularly inclined rearwardly Vci" therack so that the foremost upper corner of each front corner post is substantially vertically alined 4with the forward end of the lower, edge of the vside plates il. Tie bars 22, Veach formed of sheet metal and provided with protective rolled beads 23A along their longitudinal edges, vare secured, by spot welding 24, in horizontal position to and medially of the ends of the respective `front and rear corner posts. A continuous sheet metal strip 26, joined to the upper ends of the respective corner posts I1 and i8 b-y spot welding 21, extends along `the two sides and across the back `of the rack and has portions '23 thereof folded inwardly of the rack over the upper ends oi `the corner posts and extensions 29 of the end portions 28 bent upwardly to form a trough 3l bordering the sides and backof therack. rA pair of spaced, verticallyV extending hak bars V32, which are each formed of sheet-metal andpro'- `vided with rolled or folded edges 33,ar`e secured, by spot welding ed, respectively, to thebottom 4 and ito the strip 2S which ,extends across'the upper back of the rackf'lheback bars 32 are formed with a slight rearward slant.

As is shown by the dotted lines 36 of Figure 1, a group of maga-Zines or the like may be placed in the rack with their lower edges resting on the bottom 4 and the back of the rearmost one of the group resting against the back bars 32. The rearward pitch given the group of books by the inclined back bars 32 is usually sulicient to maintain the books in an overbalanced condition tending to prevent their falling through the open front of the rack.V However, in addition to this, I provide a retainer composed of relatively heavy wire bent to form a front bar 31 and integral side arms 38 which extend closely adjacent the inner surfaces of the sides of the rack toward the rear of the latter and which are each provided with inwardly bent pivot portions 39 journaled in looped strips 4l of sheet metal suitably secured to and adjacent the upper end of each rear corner post I1. The retainer may, after a group of books has been positioned in the rack, be pivotally moved from its full line position shown in Figure 1 to its dotted line position so that the front bar 31 will overlie and engage the outermost book of the group and thereby insure that the books may not tumble from the rack and be damaged in falling to the floor.

It will be noted that the downwardly project ing flanges 6 of the bottom 4 have substantially the same spacing as the troughs 3| in the top rim of the rack, This permits two or more of the racks to be superposed in a stack, as shown in Figure 2, with the anges 6 of one rack seated in the troughs 3| of the rack immediately below it thus forming a rigid self supporting structure. Where two or more vertical stacks of racks are to be secured together, to extend the number of racks laterally, a piece of thin sheet metal 42 bent to U-shaped form and straddling adjacent tie bars 22, as shown in Figure 4, or a piece of wire encircling the tie bars, Will suffice to securely hold the adjacent stacks of racks against being separated.

The sloping apron 1 functions, when the foreand-aft thickness of the group 35 of magazines or books is abnormal and several of the books rest on the inclined face of the apron, to convert the downward weight of the books resting on the incline to lateral pressure which tends to compress the group and still further decrease the liability `of the books falling from the rack.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rack of the character described compris- ,A

ing a sheet metal base, on which a stack of objects may be placed, having along its side and rear edges a downturned marginal flange and along its front edge an upturned angularly inclined apron, side plates secured to said marginal l,

flanges of the sides of said base and each having thereon an end tab secured to said apron, corner posts secured to and rising from said side plates, a sheet metal member secured to the upper ends of the respective corner posts, and said sheet metal member having a portion thereof formed to provide a trough bordering the sides and rear of the rack, said trough being vertically alined with the marginal flanges of said base.

2. A rack of the character described comprising a sheet metal base, on which a stack of objects may be placed, having along its side and rear edges a downturned marginal flange and along its front edge an upturned angularly inclined apron, side plates secured to said marginal flanges of the sides of said base and each having thereon an end tab secured to said apron, corner posts secured to and rising from said side plates, a sheet metal member secured to the upper ends of the respective corner posts, said sheet metal member having a portion thereof formed to provide a trough bordering the sides and rear of the rack, said trough being substantially vertically alined with the marginal flanges of said base, and an element pivotally mounted on said rack and movable to a position engaging the stack of objects on said base.

3. A rack of the character described comprising a sheet metal base, on which a stack of objects may be placed, having along its side and rear edges a downturned marginal flange and along its front edge an upturned angularly inclined apron, side plates secured to said marginal vflanges of the sides of said base and each having thereon an end tab secured to said apron, corner posts secured to and rising from said side plates, a sheet metal member secured to the upper ends of the respective corner posts, said sheet metal member having a portion thereof formed to provide a trough bordering the sides and rear of the rack, said trough being substantially vertically alined with the marginal flanges of said base, inclined back bars, against which said stack of objects may rest, secured at their respective ends to said sheet metal member and to said base, and an element pivotally mounted on said rack and movable to a position engaging the stack of objects on said base.

4. A rack of the character described comprising a sheet metal base, on which a stack of objects may be placed, having along its side and rear edges a downturned marginal flange and along its front edge an upturned angularly inclined apron, side plates secured to said marginal flanges of the sides of said base and each having thereon an end, tab secured to said apron, corner posts secured to and rising from said side plates, a sheet metal member secured to the upper ends of the respective corner p osts, said sheet metal member having a portion thereof formed to provide a trough bordering the sides and rear of the rack, said trough being substantially vertically alined with the marginal flanges of said base, inclined back bars, against which said stack of objects may rest, secured at their respective ends to said sheet metal member and to said base, and a retainer comprising a piece of relatively stiff wire formed to provide a bar, extending across the front of the rack, having integral side arms extending rearwardly of the rack and pivotally mounted on said sheet metal member, anfd said bar being movable into a position engaging the said stack of objects on said base. I v

ANTHONY RAUCCI. 

